ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cold — not warm
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — thin
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. march — the month
  14. can — a tin
  15. rush — hurry
  16. march — music
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bank — for money
  20. march — the month
  21. present — there
  22. cold — an illness
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com